


Ghost Grandpa

by SonglordsBug



Series: Howard the Haunt [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Darcy Lewis is Tony Stark's Daughter, Gen, the one time that's true in my fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-30
Updated: 2018-12-30
Packaged: 2019-09-30 05:29:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 554
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17217905
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SonglordsBug/pseuds/SonglordsBug
Summary: prompt by briarcreed:Darcy Lewis is haunted by the ghost of a young/old Howard Stark. Howard is the only one who knows that Tony is her father.





	Ghost Grandpa

**Author's Note:**

> crossposting from stumblr

Darcy frowned at the picture in her history textbook that she’d been staring at for the last ten minutes. Then she pushed her wheeled chair away from her desk and turned towards the full length mirror hung on the wall. She narrowed her eyes at the figure she saw reflected lounging on her bed fiddling with something. She didn’t know why, but it had always been easier to see him in reflections. She waited. He looked up and noticed her gaze.

He smiled cockily and asked “What’s up, kiddo!”

She raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms over her chest.

“You’ve always said you’re my grandpa.” She said flatly.

He sits up and spreads his hands.

“Well I am. It’s how it works. Can’t haunt someone without a biological connection.” He said with a smug smile.

“Really.” She said flatly. Then she rolled back to her desk and stabbed her finger down towards the picture. “Then you wanna explain this?” She demanded.

She felt his presence leaning over her shoulder as he looked down at the book.

Then he chuckled a little and said “What’s there to explain?”

She turned to where she could almost see his face and demanded “So you’re Howard Stark?”

“Yeah.” He answered, looking bemused by her passion.

She stared intently at the space he was occupying for several seconds before her shoulders slumped. She rolled herself back to the mirror. Howard followed and stood behind her, meeting her eyes in concern.

“What’s the matter kiddo?” He asked.

“If what you’re saying is true… I… you only have one kid.” Darcy stammered.

“Yeah.” Howard said, starting to look amused.

“So my dad’s Tony freaking Stark?!” Darcy exclaimed. Howard cracked up cackling. “Are you sure?” She wailed.

He sobered, and rested an insubstantial hand on her shoulder.

“Look kid, I spent years tethered to Tony. And then one day I could suddenly leave him to haunt your mother. I didn’t remember that she’d been Tony’s ‘companion’ for a night until she realized she was pregnant.” Howard told her, looking solemn.

“Does anyone know?” Darcy demanded.

“Your mother knew.” Howard answered awkwardly.

“She’s been dead since I was two!” Darcy wailed. Howard shifted uncomfortably. “Why didn’t you tell me earlier?” Darcy asked.

“I wanted to give you a chance to grow up without that weight on your shoulders.” Howard said, with one of the most serious expressions on his face that she’d ever seen. “Your mother died making sure no one knew about you. The least I could do was respect that.”

Darcy frowned, it sounded like “Howard? You’re making it sound like she didn’t just die. Like someone…”

He lifted a hand to stop her. “Not yet. There’s gonna be things to talk about, and to do. But not yet.”

Darcy bit her lip, considering him, and then nodded.

“Besides…” And he managed something resembling his usual grin. “Don’t you need to finish studying for that test tomorrow?”

Darcy groaned, and then squealed.

“Oh my god, you lived this stuff, you can totally tell me about it!” She rolled back to her desk and flipped several pages in the book. She pointed at a new picture and said “You can tell me all about Sergeant Dreamy.”

Howard glanced over her shoulder at the picture and then grumbled “Aw jeeze, not Barnes…”


End file.
